Bowling came apparatus



Feb. 13, 1951 c. METZ BOWLING GAME APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 22, 194e Ehrutnpher Metz i INVENTOR A BY Q/w z/m YS Feb. 13, 1951A Filed Aug. 22, 1946 C. METZ BOWLING GAME APPARATUS 2 shets-sheet 2 7 Fmi; a -L /5 v Q Q Q Q 5 5 al H w Q Q Q/` Ehrsitupher Metz INVENTOR Patented Feb. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOWLING GAME APPARJTUSv Christopher Metz, West Hempstead, N. Y.

Application August 22, 1946, SerialvNo. 692,311

This invention relates to improvements in game apparatus.

The general object of the invention is to provide a novel game apparatus of the type in vwhich the ball isrolled and a score is obtained bya' combination of luck and skill of the player.

With this general object and still other objects Which will appear in the following full description in mind, the invention consists in the combinations and arrangements `of parts and details of construction which will now rst be fully described in connection with the accompanying drawing and then be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing: Y

Figure 1 is a plan View of a game apparatus embodying the invention in a preferred form;

Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are sections taken, respectively, on the lines 3 3, 4 4 and 5 5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a schematic circuit diagram;

Figure 7 is a detail section taken on the line 1 1 of Figure 4; and

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary View of a portion of Figure 2.

The game lapparatus of the invention will be supported, at a convenient height, by means of legs I, indicated fragmentarily in Figures 2 and 5, or in any other convenient way, and includes an elongated and generally rectangular framework or housing having a bottom 2, front wall 3, rear wall 4, and side walls 5. Supported within this framework, as by means of cleats B, mounted on the side walls 5, is an upwardly inclined bowling surface 1, along which balls may be propelled by the player. The height of surface 1 will be such as to permit the player conveniently to bowl the balls underhand. This section -comprises an opaque portion 8 upon which the balls are rolled, a transparent section 9 made of glass or suitable transparent plastic, along which the balls roll and an upwardly curved terminal portion I for projecting the balls upwardly and causing them to jump toward the target area to the rear of the machine. A transparent cover, in the form of a flat section II and curved section I2, is provided, and a score indicating device of any desired character may be provided at the location I3, on top of the machine. The target area toward the rear of the machine may take various forms. The preferred form comprises a slanting support I carrying a number of concentric rings or circular walls I6 arranged after 2 Claims. (Cl. 273-95) 2y v the fashion of the vgame known as Skee-ball Balls which land in the various annular spaces defined by these rings will be discharged from' y corresponding ports I'I, and a lball which lands within none of the rings will roll down the mem# ber I5 and will be discharged'toward the front thereof through the spaceY I 5.

A ball having dropped through a port I1, or the space I5' will roll down the inclined plane I8 supported on cleats I9 withinthewhousing'and through playing field 2U thereof, -wh'ich ispro' vided with a number'of bumpers or'otherscoring devices 2I. A playing field of anyo'f the! knownbagatelle, or so-called pin-ballftypes may be Yutilized in conjunction with standard scoring ap paratus therefor, and will be visible through the transparent section-9 ofthe-'bowling-surface and cover Il.

The balls which collect in the front of the iield 20 fall through trap 25, provision for dropping this trap and delivering the balls to a location accessible to the player being provided by means of any convenient motor driven device, such as the device 26. Having dropped through the trap, the balls will roll along the transversely inclined surface 21 (Figure 5) and into a channel 28 from which they may be discharged, one by one, into the pocket 29, where they may be obtained by the player. Coin slot means 36 may be provided for energizing the electrical circuits involved and operating the drop 25, so as to make the balls accessible for playing.

Associated with each of the ports I1 is a switch 35 having an operating member 36 extending across the port for energizing the switch upon passage of a ball therethrough and a similar switch 31 having an operating member 38 is provided in conjunction with the opening I5', for closing the switch 31 upon passage of a ball through this opening. A scoring device of any of the known types providing for differential scoring and indicated generally by the numeral 40 (Fig. 6) is provided within the upper housing I3, and the scoring values obtained upon passage of the balls through the playing field may be determined by which of the lines LI L2, L3 and L4 is supplying current thereto from power line L5, the circuits from score 40 to power line L6 being completed through a common line L1. The energizing of these lines is controlled by the switches 35 and 31 and by the associated relays RI, R2, R3 and R4. Closing the uppermost switch 35, for example, completes a circuit through the winding of relay RI, closing its contacts and in so doing providing also a maintaining circuit for holding the contacts closed after the associated switch is opened. The operation of the other switches and associated relays is similar.

Switches SI and S2 (Fig. '7) actuated by a bar 45 in the path of the balls as they leave the playing eld are provided and are connected in series with the relay Yenergizing line as shown, and accordingly, as soon as a ball has passed over the playing field, the relay circuits will be interrupted, until a switch 35 or 31 has been closed by another ball. The score obtained by the player for each ball will, accordingly, be determined, first, by which of the ports I1'(or opening I 5') the ball passes through and, secondly, by the path of the ball through the playing field. For example, a ball passing through the opening I5 and which energizes the score selecting mechanism through line L4 may be assigned a unit value of scoring, While a ball passing through any three ports I1 may be assigned increasing multiples thereof, such as double value for a ball passing through the lowermost port I6, triple value for a ball passing through the middle port 16, and ve times the value for a ball passing through the uppermost port t6. Since the difficulty of placing the ball in the various concentric circles in the target area in creases in this order, the players skill determines, to a large extent, the score which is obtained. This element may, therefore, be controlled by adjusting the scoring ratios so as to increase or decrease 'the progressive ratios referred to above.

What is claimed is:

1. Game apparatus comprising a bowling surface, a target at one end thereof for receiving balls propelled therealong, the said target having a plurality of ports for discharging balls downwardly therefrom, a return surface upon which the balls may roll backwardly under the bowling surface, a bagatelle playing eld associated with the second said surface, and the said bowling surface having a transparent section above said playing field and covering its entire Width.

2. Game apparatus comprising a bowling surface, a :rise at the end of said surface for imparting lan upward direction of motion to balls propelled therealong, a target for receiving said balls, the said target having a plurality of ports for discharging balls downwardly therefrom, a return surface upon which the balls may roll backwardly under the bowling surface, a bagatelle playing field associated with the' second said surface, and the said-bowling surface having a transparent section above said playing eld and covering its entire width.

CHRISTOPHER METZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 836,561 Bush Nov.. 20, .1906 1,272,014 Darby July 9, k1918 1,612,912 Esmarian Jan. 4, 1927 1,788,336 Schneider Jan. 6, vv1931 1,988,251 Pattison Jan. 15, 1935 2,201,446 Moloney et al. May 21, 1940 2,218,968 Hooker Oct. 22, 1940 2,251,305 Tarbox Aug. 5, 1941 

